470 



Mr. Kyros. Thank you very much, Mr. McKean. 



Thank you, Mr. Chainnan. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Mr. Keith ? 



Mr. Keith. No questions. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Gentlemen, the committee is grateful to you. W© thank 

 you. I have great respect and affection for the international and its 

 membership, even though I do not always agree with them, and I have 

 a very high regard for Mr. Lenzini with whom I have worked on a 

 number of pieces of good legislation. 



I thank you for your presentation here today. 



The Chair observes that the representatives of the Sierra Club 

 have been unable to be with us today and have requested additional 

 time for filing of staJtements. 



Without objection that is directed and at the appropiate place 

 in the record they will be inserted. 



Mr. Pelly. Mr. Chairman, I have received a letter from the director 

 of the Washington State Department of Game describing the protec- 

 tion currently provided to marine mammals under State law in Wash- 

 ington. If it is appropriate at this time, I ask that it be inserted in 

 the hearing record at this point. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Without objection, it is so ordered. 



(The information follows :) 



Department of Game, 

 Olympia, Wash., September S, 1911. 

 Hon. Thomas M. Pelly, M.C, 

 House of Representatives, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dear Congressman Pelly : It is my understanding hearings have been sched- 

 uled before the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation on Septem- 

 ber 9 concerning H.R. 10420 and H.R. 6554. I would appreciate the opportunity 

 to comment on these bills. 



H.R. 10420 does, in effect, give the Department of Interior wildlife control 

 over resident wildlife within state jurisdiction. I feel very strongly this will 

 result in another open conflict between state wildlife agencies and federal 

 government and that no useful purpose will be served by superimposing the De- 

 partment of Interior as an authority over state wildlife. It can only result in 

 duplication and confusion to the detriment of the resources. 



I concur that the federal government should have authority over marine mam- 

 mals which si)end most of their lives beyond the three-mile limit. This in- 

 cludes most species of whales, as well as fur seals. In that these mammals are, 

 for the most part, in international waters, the federal government would be 

 in a position to regulate them when it pertains to citizens of the United States, 

 as well as enter into international agreements for their overall protection and 

 management. 



In the State of Washington, by State law, marine mamals are under the 

 management of the Washington State Department of Game. Management and 

 research of these mammals are carried out by the State under provisions of 

 State law and rules and regulations of the State Game Commission. At the 

 present time, marine mammals are given complete protection in this State. The 

 Game Commission has issued six permits for the taking of killer whales for 

 display purposes, and three have been taken this year. Since the Department 

 of GaW has been regulating the taking of killer whales, there have been 

 no losses of whales by people engaged in their trapping. 



Sea lions and harbor seals, which are resident in Puget Sound and along 

 the Washington coast, are under complete protection by the Department of 

 Game. We have received no criticism of our regulation of these animals. Several 

 years ago, sea otter were reintroduced to their historical range along the Wash- 

 ington coast. This reintroduction was done by the Department of Game and ap- 

 pears, at this time, to be a successful reintroduction that will again establish 

 this unique and interesting animal in its former habitat. Protection of this 

 resource has been carried out by the Department of Game. 



